Car Restoration Projects to Skip
Even though car restoration projects are often rewarding for automotive enthusiasts, in some cases, they simply aren’t worth the time, effort, or money. Whether it be because of their low resale value or a poor reputation, some cars just don’t sell on the secondhand market, regardless of how good they may look. Let’s take a closer look at 21 car restoration projects that rarely pay off in the end.
Ford Pinto
Ford Pintos are cheap to buy, and there is a very good reason for that. Over the years, the car has developed a rather poor reputation for safety, which has led to low desirability. So, while it may be cheap to buy and restore, chances are you won’t make your money back on the secondhand market.
Chevrolet Vega
The Chevrolet Vega is plagued by its fair share of issues, including a severe rust problem. It is also mechanically unreliable, leading to a poor reputation amongst automotive enthusiasts. Regardless of how well you restore a Vega, you are likely to find very little interest amongst buyers.
AMC Pacer
The AMC Pacer has a very quirky design - something that it will always be remembered for. However, in the long run, restoration costs will always exceed the market value of the car, as it has a very limited collector’s interest.
Triumph Spitfire
While the Triumph Spitfire may offer a whole lot of British Charm, it is plagued with a number of pretty serious issues, including electrical and rust. For this reason, it comes with a low resale value that will leave owners quite unhappy.
Fiat X1/9
The Fiat X1/9 features a mid-engine layout, which does come as a bit of a novelty. However, parts are incredibly rare to find, making any restoration project difficult and expensive. As a result, you probably won’t end up making any sort of profit.
MG Midget
Although the MG Midget is loved by some, it is unfortunately not a good investment for a restoration project. It is known for experiencing frequent mechanical issues, leading to a very low demand on the secondhand market and an even lower resale price.
Chevrolet Corvair
The Chevrolet Corvair is quite a looker as far as older cars go, but it also features a rear-engine layout, which makes repairs rather difficult. In addition to this, frequent cooling and handling issues have led to a very low demand among drivers.
Jaguar XJ6
Even though the Jaguar XJ6 is an incredibly luxurious vehicle, it has garnered a reputation for being unreliable. The car also features some highly complex systems that require extra time, money, and effort to restore.
Cadillac Allante
The Cadillac Allante is incredibly expensive to restore and repair, as it is made using parts only produced in Italy. For this reason, it has a weak market demand, with many drivers unwilling to pay such a hefty price for components.
Lincoln Versailles
Even though the Lincoln Versailles was marketed as a luxury vehicle, it was essentially a rebranded version of the Ford Granada. It offered nothing new or special, leading to a very low market demand and collector’s value.
Plymouth Volare
The Plymouth Volare has garnered a poor reputation for its lack of reliability. Although it would be relatively inexpensive to restore, there is no real market value, meaning you would struggle to find any buyers.
Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera
Simply put, the Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera isn’t a good-looking car, leading to a very low market value. Even in pristine condition, you would have a hard time finding a buyer, as there is very little interest in such an old-fashioned and outdated vehicle.
Pontiac Fiero
The early models of the Pontiac Fiero struggled with rather severe fire issues, leading to a poor reputation in terms of safety. On top of this, the mid-engine layout made it incredibly difficult to perform repairs, leading to a low market demand and collector’s value.
Ford Thunderbird (1980s)
The Ford Thunderbird is an iconic car, but models released in the 1980s have a particularly low resale value. This mostly comes down to a lack of character and charm that the Thunderbird models were previously known for.
Buick Reatta
The Buick Reatta tried to be innovative back in its day, but fell short. With overcomplicated and outdated systems, such as a digital dashboard, the car is a bit of a nightmare to restore. As a result, it has a very low market demand.
Chrysler TC
The Chrysler TC is the Italian-American hybrid car that nobody asked for. Although it appears decent, it is incredibly expensive to repair, resulting in a low resale value.
Dodge Aspen
The Dodge Aspen is simply uninspiring and boring. To top it all off, it is prone to rust and struggles with reliability issues. As a result, it has a low collector’s value and rarely makes a profit on the secondhand market.
Mercury Capri
The Mercury Capri may look like a Mustang, but it definitely doesn’t perform like one. In fact, its disappointing driving ability led to a low resale value and weak aftermarket support. Let’s just say that you’d struggle to find a buyer, regardless of how good your restored model may look.
Volkswagen Type 3
The VW Type 3 may be a good vehicle, but it’s incredibly difficult to find the correct spare parts, making it a nightmare for restorers. It also has a low collector’s value, meaning that you may struggle to find an interested buyer.
Nissan 280ZX
Simply put, the Nissan 280ZX has always been overshadowed by the 240Z and 300ZX. The car is expensive to restore and doesn’t hold up on the secondhand market, meaning that you probably won’t make much (if any) profit.
Saab 900
The Saab 900 features a quirky design that is every restorer’s nightmare. There are very limited spare parts available, making it almost impossible to complete the job. Despite the Saab cult following, you will more than likely struggle to find a buyer on the second-hand market.
